Motherwork

Why do some people seem to think that once a woman becomes a mother, she magically becomes that damned Energizer bunny? I mean, I didn't realize that having my child meant I forfeited all rights to being a woman who occasionally needs a recharge, a rest, a child-free moment. Case in point--my summer vacation began today. I had every intention of bringing the kid home, leaving him on his father's doorstep and vanishing into the night.

Only, something happened. And, now, not only do I have the kid, I have his two-year old brother. Don't get me wrong--I love the little brother, he's highly verbal, very funny, and gives the best "sugar" in the South. But he is two. Which means, he'll play with the older kids for a minute, but, when he's tired or they're ignoring him, he's stuck to me like glue. The me who planned to spend at least a week in bed. The me who's forgotten the ins and outs of toddlerhood. The me who's just now realizing that Ican't just say "Mmm" and "Really?"--a two-year-old expects you listen. The me who's wondering, as I'm typing, why he's gotten so quiet and why I hear rustling in the fridge. And the me who keeps forgetting to check his pull-up!

So, apparently my summer vacation is postponed. Indefinitely.